Through It All
by Artificial Lines
Summary: We all know that everyone wonders what would have happened if the infamous conversation in Madam Malkin's had gone differently. Here's my version. Slash HD
1. Chapter 1

…………………………..

"Hogwarts, dear?" she asked as Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here – another young man being fitted up just now, in fact."

In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him, slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.

"Hello," said the boy. "Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"My name's Draco, Draco _Malfoy_." He stressed the last name with an air of importance, "You are?"

Harry really didn't want Hogwarts to be like his old school where he had no friends and was alone most of the time. This boy seemed as if he knew his way around the wizarding world. With the way he held his head so high and looked so _confident_ in a way that Harry could only hope to achieve. He looked so _comfortable _standing there in a pinned up black robe when Harry himself thought about how ridiculous he must look right now.

"Harry Potter," he stated humbly.

The other boy's eyes widened imperceptibly before he seemed to reign in his emotions. "I heard that you were raised by Muggles. Were they nice to you?"

The thought of the Dursley's being nice to him or showing him affection was a bizarre and slightly nauseating thought. Harry was a little uncomfortable talking about his 'family'. "Well, my relatives aren't the nicest people, but most Muggles are decent."

Draco seemed to pick up on his uneasiness so he chose another topic. "Do you know anything about Hogwarts?" he asked politely.

Harry sheepishly played with one of the pins in his sleeve hem only to have his hand slapped away by Madam Malkin's mauve fake nails. "No, not really."

"Well," the boy started with a look of glee in his silver eyes, like he had just won a prize, "I'm here with my mother and father. I'm sure they'd be happy to show you around and explain some things."

Harry grinned at his new friend. "Sure, I just have to ask Hagrid, the man I'm here with. He should be back from the Leaky Cauldron soon."

Madam Malkin told him that she was done and told him to follow her to the counter.

"There's Hagrid now." Harry pointed the half giant out to Draco as Hagrid lumbered down the busy street.

"He's quite… large." Draco said hesitantly.

"Don't worry. He's really nice. He came to get me from the Muggles I live with," Harry reassured him.

"I'll… uh… meet you in Flourish and Blotts in forty-five minutes, okay? I have to go find my parents at the Apothecary," Draco called as he was swept away by the current of people walking down the street.

"Okay." Harry called back and turned to talk to Hagrid. This gave them enough time to go get his wand.

…………………………………..

"Now, you're sure you want to meet this Malfoy kid?" Hagrid asked for what had to be the fifth time.

"Yes, I'm sure. Why wouldn't I be?" Harry asked, curious about the reason for Hagrid's strange behavior.

"Well, you see," he paused as he saw the way Harry's eye lit up when the platinum haired boy came down the street, "… never you mind. I'll be in the Leaky cauldron; head back there when you're done. And be careful."

"Sure thing, Hagrid. I'll see you later." Harry replied brightly as he saw Draco approaching.

…………………………….

"I'll start from the beginning." Draco's parents had left them at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor for a sundae. They had graciously offered to buy the necessary school supplies for the two of them, anything to make their Dragon happy.

While Draco explained things - from the different shops in Diagon Alley to the rules of Quidditch - the two got better acquainted. Harry found the blond boy's personality to be slightly outlandish compared to what he was used to, but he guessed that was to be expected. His presence just seemed to command respect from those around them, even though they were a meager eleven years old.

"Do you know how to get onto Platform 9 ¾ to board the Hogwart's Express?"

Harry shook his head 'no'; he seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"It's quite simple really," Draco clarified, "you just walk through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10."

"You walk into the wall?" Harry asked, bewildered. Was Draco joking?

Draco chuckled, "The wall's just an illusion so the Muggles don't see the station. Now, when you get to Hogwarts is the important part; first years need to be sorted."

Harry's brow furrowed. "Sorted into what?" He really hated feeling so ignorant and having to ask so many questions, but Draco didn't seem to mind.

"Houses, there's four of them. You have to live with the people in your house and have classes with them. You get sorted based on your characteristics. Don't look so worried," he reassured Harry's nervous demeanor, "they just put an old hat on your head and it looks into your mind or something."

"So, what are the houses?" Harry found the idea of mind reading hats oddly scary.

"Well, there's Hufflepuff - but you don't want to go there. It's for babies and dunderheads. There's also Ravenclaw - that's for smart kids and the bookworm types. Next there's Gryffindor… for the recklessly brave and stubborn. And then there's _Slytherin_. It's for the cunning and ambitious. Each house was made for one of the founders of the school: Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Godric Gryffindor, and Salazar Slytherin. Each had different values." Draco said in rush, as if he had had this speech prepared.

"Which one do you want to be in?" Harry was torn between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Bravery was a valuable trait but cunning was good too.

"Slytherin, of course. Every Malfoy since the founding of Hogwarts has been a Slytherin." And Harry instantly knew which house he wanted to be in.

"It would be nice to be in the same house as you." He smiled and decided not to say anything about never having friends before.

"It would," Draco smiled back. Harry breathed an inner sigh of relief; things didn't seem so bad anymore.

"Are you done eating, Dragon?" A sophisticated, delicate voice asked softly from behind them.

"Yes, Mother." He responded, rising from his chair, as did Harry.

"Good, your supplies have been purchased and we need to get back to the manor," Draco's father told him with an indulgent smile. To Harry, Draco's father gave off an air of great importance and pride - with an undertone of menace that unnerved Harry.

"I'll write to you so we can meet on the Platform. Goodbye, Harry." He waved before taking hold of a glove that his father handed him and disappearing.

"Here you go, young man." Mrs. Malfoy handed him what looked like a change purse bulging with contents. "All you need to do to return them to their regular size is touch your new wand to them and say 'finite'."

He smiled, "Thank you, very much." He tried to be as polite as possible.

"You're welcome." She smiled before vanishing with a crack barely audible over the sounds of the alley.

As Harry made his way back to the Leaky Cauldron to meet Hagrid, he realized something that saddened him: How would Draco write to him if he hadn't given him his address?

………………….

A week later, Harry sat dejectedly in Dudley's second bedroom reading from his new potions book when there was a tapping from his window. His head snapped up at the sudden noise, almost falling out of his chair when he saw a regal looking eagle owl perched on the sill of his half opened window.

He clambered out of his chair, eager to let the bird in. Seeing as owls had delivered his Hogwarts letters, he figured this had something to do with the school. It swooped over his head and landed on the small cot. Its leg jutted out where a letter was tied to it with a black satin ribbon.

Harry hesitantly untied the letter. The bird had its beak upturned as if he were better than this sloppy boy and was here against his better judgment. When the thick parchment was removed, it pecked at some of the remains of Harry's dinner on the bedside table before taking off.

Harry ran a finger down the crack in the scroll breaking the green wax seal. He walked over to his desk, smoothing out the roll on the harsh wooden surface after carefully placing the ribbon in the top drawer.

Dear Harry,

I hope your summer is going well and your Muggle relatives aren't too terrible to you. Just think; you only have a couple more weeks before you'll be leaving for Hogwarts.

I remembered you saying that you didn't know that much about your family history. In the wizarding world what family you come from can be quite important. I thought it would be a good idea for you to get to know your family history, so I had one of Father's secretaries draw up your family tree. Sorry if it bothers you that I did this or that I took a look for myself. You family lineage is very interesting.

Father said that if you agreed, we could pick you up to bring you to King's Cross. It'll be easier for the Muggles that way.

Awaiting your reply,

D.L. Malfoy

Harry admired the neat, perfect script that Draco wrote in. His own choppy and messy print paled in comparison.

There seemed to be something embedded in the paper, making it slightly bumpy if he ran his fingers over it. He held it up to the light for better inspection. To his amazement, there was an elegant and ancient looking crest for a watermark. It bore the word 'Malfoy' across the top of the shield on a silver ribbon being held by two flying dragons.

He looked at the lined loose-leaf paper he had pulled out to write his reply on… it seemed so plain and dull.

He was deciding to put off writing his reply until the next day when he remembered Draco writing about a family tree. He didn't see one on the small paper he held in his hands.

As if on cue, a nearly identical eagle owl came to his window, distinguishable only by the different markings on its face. In its beak, it clutched a long thin rolled up scroll that was almost as long as the window.

This one didn't even come in; it just dropped its bounty in Harry's waiting hand and flew off. This time before breaking the seal, Harry noticed the same crest on it that was in the watermark stamped in the wax.

He sat by his pillow and unrolled the paper. His eyes went wide at the intricacy of the tree. His eyes checked the top and saw that it dated back a thousand years. "Whoa," he breathed.

At the bottom was a small picture of himself as an infant with no scar and only a small crop of messy raven hair. It was underneath the joined line of Lily Evans and James Potter. He sat mesmerized by the two photos. He had never really seen a picture of his parents.

His mother was beautiful with long flowing ruby red hair and bright green eyes that mirrored his own. His father had a handsome defined face that still held boyish qualities and had the exact same untamable 'do as Harry.

He skimmed back up to the top; it had a lot of generations listed on it. He started with his mother's side first.

His great grandmother's name was 'Le Faye'. He liked the sound of it so he followed it up noting the changing surnames. When he got to the top of the long paper, he read 'Salazar Slytherin'.

His heart hammered in his chest. Hadn't Draco said this was one of the founders of Hogwarts? Maybe it was a coincidence that they had the same name. He'd heard of that happening on the soap operas that Aunt Petunia watched during the day. Or could he really be descended from someone that great?

He recapped and started with his father's line. Halfway up he paused and saw the names of 'John Weasley' married to 'Douglas Potter'. To his amazement, there was a child stemming from the two. At first he just assumed it was adoption, but when he looked at the picture of the child it was the spitting image of what you would imagine of their combined traits.

'Interesting,' he noted with surprise, 'men can get pregnant.'

He continued up and noticed that the Potter name stayed strong, most heirs being males. The second generation from the top 'Victoria Gryffindor' was shown married to 'Galahad Potter'. He followed up to Victoria's father to see 'Godric Gryffindor' staring back at him with amber eyes.

Could he really be a distant descendant of two Hogwarts founders? That would be _fantastic_.

It was around one in the morning when Harry carefully placed the tree under a loose floorboard, tied with the black satin ribbon. He also put Draco's letter in the hole next to his shrunken school supplies.


	2. Chapter 2

……………………………..

Harry sat anxiously on the bottom step of the staircase at number 4 Privet Drive. It was ten past ten and Draco and his father were due to arrive at any minute. He nervously pulled at the hem of the smallest pair of Dudley's old khakis he had worn for the occasion. He had tried to comb down his hair but had only succeeded in breaking a few comb picks.

"Those freaks are going to be late," Uncle Vernon called gruffly from the living room.

"They'll be here," Harry ground out tersely, "they still have four minutes to get here."

Harry looked out the small window next to the door and did a double take.

……………………………..

"Father," Draco drawled in a bored tone, "why are all the Muggle homes the same?" Draco once again peered out his window but it still looked like they were in a legion of cloned houses.

Lucius examined the stitching of his Italian leather gloves. "They're Muggles, Draco; they have no sense of originality."

"Don't worry, Sweetheart, we'll be out of this filthy neighborhood soon," his mother smoothed back his head of hair, not that it needed it.

The tinted black window that separated them from the driver rolled down. "What number did you say the house was, Mr. Malfoy?" the driver asked in a nervous tone.

"Four, you incompetent fool! How hard is it to remember one digit?" Lucius growled.

The window went back up. "I still don't see why we have to use Muggle transportation," the elder Malfoy muttered.

"As I have told you," his wife started, "we are in a Muggle neighborhood picking up _Harry Potter_ from a Muggle home; we wish to impress. I gave in on the point of you wearing your robes so just stop complaining. My baby is starting his first year at school and you will not ruin his first new friendship," she finished in a menacing tone.

Lucius sighed and glanced at his son who was looking indignant at being referred to as 'baby'. "Yes, Dear."

"We're here." Draco announced excitedly. They slowed to a stop in front one of the identical houses, the only thing setting it apart being the '4' on the door and 'Dursley' stamped on the mailbox with perfectly aligned stickers.

…………………………………

Harry's mouth hung open as the black limousine stopped by the walk leading to the house. A driver that was looking abnormally pale got out of the driver's seat and jogged around the car to open the door.

First, one blond head emerged, Lucius's long hair tied back with the same type of ribbon that Harry had tucked in the bottom of his trunk. Next, a slightly less bleached blonde woman stepped out, her hand being held onto by her husband. Last came the one Harry was the most excited to see. Draco had his hair slicked back in the same way it had been when they'd first met.

Uncle Vernon peeked through the blinds in the living room and looked awed at the limousine until he noticed what the Malfoys were wearing. "If the neighbors see this, boy…" he growled.

Harry began to nervously jiggle his foot on the edge of his trunk making Hedwig hoot angrily at being bounced around. He sheepishly removed his foot; the Malfoys seemed to take an eternity to get to the door.

When the knocker finally filled the house with it's loud banging noise, Harry's hand flew to the handle and pulled it open.

"Draco," Harry greeted with a bright smile.

"Harry," the other boy matched him. They awkwardly shook hands not really knowing what type of welcome was appropriate.

"Mr. Malfoy, Mrs. Malfoy, won't you come in?" Harry gestured politely.

Draco walked in but didn't move three feet from Harry. "Really, Draco, we must be going," Lucius said curtly from the doorframe. He didn't look like he could physically take a step inside a Muggle house.

"Thank you for the invitation, Harry, but we don't want to be late," Narcissa said graciously giving a stern look to the man standing next to her.

"I'll help you with your trunk," Draco offered going to grab one end.

"Let Harry say his goodbyes first, dear," his mother told him. Vernon looked at Harry from where he stood in the door to the kitchen then at the strange, obviously wealthy, woman. He grunted at them, turned, and went back to his paper.

"It's fine, Mrs. Malfoy, we can leave," Harry blushed. Narcissa narrowed her eyes and gave a steely glare to where Vernon had walked away.

"Tactless Muggles," she hissed. "Come, Draco, Harry, we're leaving." She turned sharply and stalked out the door with her husband following dutifully.

Draco offered him a reassuring smile and clasped the handle on the back end of the trunk. "Thanks," Harry muttered, utterly embarrassed, taking the other end. They walked down the path leading to the waiting limo. The trunk swung clumsily between the two, alternately banging into Harry's calf and Draco's shin.

Harry could already see the neighbors peeking through curtains and over fences. He cringed at the thought and hastened to put as much space between him and his uncle as possible.

The pale driver hurried to take the trunk from them and place it in the boot of the car. The boys joined Draco's parents in the back seat where they were waiting. Harry slid in last, his khakis sliding over the leather of the seats with an embarrassing squeak.

He reached to pull the door shut but recoiled when it came swinging shut on him, the driver already halfway around the car and getting behind the wheel. The journey to Kings Cross was one of the most awkward car rides of Harry Potter's life.

………………………………..

They stood on the platform, the gleaming red Hogwarts Express billowing steam not ten feet away.

"My little dragon is leaving," Mrs. Malfoy cooed as she dabbed at the tears streaming down her face with a monogrammed silk handkerchief. "Be good and remember to write."

Draco rolled his eyes but practically threw himself into his mother's open arms for one last hug. "And you, Harry," she turned to the other boy who was thinking wistfully about what it would be like if his loving parents were here to see him off to his first year of formal magical training, "look out for yourself and Dragon, and don't get in too much trouble." She tucked a strand of his fly away hair behind his ear and he distinctly heard her murmur something about 'Potter hair' and 'Her eyes'.

Lucius clapped his son on the shoulder and gave him a few whispered words of advice and early congratulations on making Slytherin. The man offered Harry a sneer and turned to lead his wife by the arm out of the station.

"Come on," Draco motioned with his hand, "lets find a compartment." Harry followed the blond to the steps leading onto the train, then down the seemingly never-ending corridor.

They walked down the aisle peeking into windows, looking for an empty one. They came across one that had a handsome dark skinned boy sitting by the window with a book. Harry was about to move on but Draco slid the door open and stepped in.

Harry hesitantly followed, taking a seat next to Draco across from the boy. "Zabini," Draco stated with a haughty tone to his voice.

"Malfoy," Zabini responded with a curt nod, closing his book and placing it at his side. There was a silence where the two boys stared coldly at each other and Harry wondered why Draco had chosen to sit with the boy he didn't seem to like. That was until the two burst out laughing at the same time. The Zabini boy was clutching his stomach and his head was thrown back in laughter. Draco leaned on Harry as he wheezed for breath and wiped a tear from his eye.

"I love pretending to be our parents," the dark boy sighed when he had his breathing under control. Harry was a little confused but smiled nonetheless.

"Who's the mute?" he asked after remembering that Draco had not come into the compartment alone.

His cheeks shone pink, "I'm Harry, Harry Potter." It was the same reaction he had gotten from Draco in the robe shop, a brief widening of the eyes before emotion seemed to flee his face.

"Blaise Zabini," he offered, reaching out to shake Harry's hand from his seat.

Draco must have noticed the reaction too, "He's cool, Blaise. Looks like a Slytherin prospect."

Blaise seemed to eye him with more respect and he let a smile through, "Nothing's better than Slytherin."

Just then a pretty girl with curly blonde hair and a button nose strolled in with a stocky looking girl. They smiled at the occupants before taking seats next to Blaise.

"Hey, Pans," Draco greeted, "Millie."

Pansy smirked, "Hello Dray."

"You know I hate that name!" Draco groaned.

"All the more reason to use it."

"And father wondered why I wanted out of the marriage contract," he sighed mockingly and Pansy stuck out her tongue.

"Don't make me use 'Drakey-poo'," she threatened.

Draco's eyes narrowed, "You wouldn't."

"Try me." She responded with a smirk.

"How bout Drake then?" Millie interjected.

"Slightly better," Draco grumbled.

"And no one cares to butcher my name." Blaise pretended to pout.

"Sorry, Blaisey," Millie laughed, "it's not as much fun when the person _wants _their name to be screwed with."

"Well you could do it anyway," he grumbled, "I didn't even get a proper 'hello'."

……………………………

Soon there were nine of them in the cramped compartment. Harry had been introduced to Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Theodore Nott, Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, Daphne Greengrass, and Blaise Zabini so far. He had never had a conversation with this many people before and they all seemed to like him.

Halfway through the journey Draco stood and stretched his back. "Let's take a walk, Harry. I'll introduce you to some more people."

I have to remember more people's names! Harry thought hysterically but he just nodded and followed the blond out into the hall. It was nice to know that even though Draco was back with the people he was obviously already friends with, he didn't just ditch Harry to be with them.

They were around the back of the train so they headed forward up the corridor. Whenever Draco would recognize someone he would go in and introduce Harry, talk for a couple of minutes then move on. He met about nine kids his age and a handful of older years, which he noticed, almost all had a patch with a serpent sewn onto the front of their robes. Draco explained that they were either family friends or acquaintances. Harry tried to remember all the names but it was like trying to hold sand.

They got to the final compartment and a scowl came over Draco's face, "You'll want to stay away from these ones." He slid open the door and stepped in. He first turned to a chubby boy with mousy brown hair that was holding a toad, "Longbottom." His tone was neutral but there was a menacing sneer on his face.

"M-Malfoy," the boy stuttered nervously. Harry got the feeling Draco wasn't playing a game like he had with Blaise.

Draco turned to a red headed boy in the corner, "You must be a Weasley." He took in the boy's shabby hand-me-down appearance disdainfully.

Without waiting for a response he turned to a girl that had large frizzy brown hair and a large book clutched in her hands. "Muggle-born," he stated.

Her face looked shocked and wary, "How did you know?"

"Sixth sense," he smirked.

"It's Hermione Granger," she stated primly.

Draco smiled in mock sweetness, "I don't care."

"Who are _you_?" Weasley directed at Harry. He said it in a way that made it sound like he didn't really care, his tone hinted at a hot-blooded temper. Harry had been about to tell Draco to try and be nice when the boy spoke. Why did he already dislike him? Harry hadn't even _said_ anything. This boy reminded him of the bullies back in Little Whinging.

"Harry Potter," he stated coldly before walking out with Draco at his heels.

"How come you told me not to hang around with them before I even met them?" Harry questioned as they strode to the back of the train.

"Longbottom's a dunce who doesn't know which end of a wand the spell comes out of, the girl's a Muggle-born, and the Weasleys are known to use people. I'm sure they'd just love to get their poverty-stricken hands on you," Draco sneered the name Weasley.

"What's wrong with being a Muggle-born?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well, the power you have comes from your ancestors, so when it comes down to it they're inferior to pure-bloods. They may do well in the theory parts of magic but when it comes to the practical part wizards with a stronger magical heritage usually do better. And for every Muggle-born there's usually one or two Muggles given the knowledge of our world," Harry knew Draco was talking about parents and was glad that Draco had the discretion not to outright use the word with him, even though it wasn't necessary. "Each one puts us in danger of discovery. Most pure-blood families try not to associate with them." This was obviously a topic that Draco was very passionate about.

Harry nodded in understanding and let Draco rant on all the way to their compartment.

…………………………….

It was like being outside. The walls of the Great Hall towered above them then faded into the dark night sky at the top. "Won't we get rained on?" he asked Blaise as they were shunted to the front of the incoming first years.

Blaise snorted, "There's a ceiling there it's just… invisible."

The same stern looking woman that had led them into the hall came out of a side chamber carrying a three-legged stool with a tatty old wizard's hat sitting on top of it. Harry wasn't the only first year to jump in surprise when the brim opened and began to sing:

"_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The sorting hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a thinking cap!_

'That's new.' Harry thought warily. By the end of the song he was a little nervous. All of his new friends were so set and sure on Slytherin, and he really wanted to be in the same house as them.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," the woman said, "Abbot, Hannah!"

The pink-faced girl was put in Hufflepuff along with the next girl. Next to him Theodore and Draco snorted in amusement; he didn't know what he would do if he was put in Hufflepuff. Harry watched one of the girls he had made friends with, Millicent, go up to the stool to be sorted into Slytherin.

He zoned out for most of the ceremony. Trying to calm himself, he looked around the large hall. He took in the hundreds of floating candles, all lit with wax dripping down the sides. The Gibbous moon shining through the charmed ceiling had an eerie orange tinge to it, and the four tables filled with older children watching the fresh meat.

He would pay attention when he heard the name called of any of the eight he spent the train ride with. They were up to the L's and Greg, Vince, Daphne, and Millie had all made Slytherin.

"Malfoy, Draco!" Draco winked at him before placing a smirk on his face and confidently strode up to the stool. It barely touched his perfectly manicured head before "Slytherin!" rang out through the hall. He swaggered over to the table decked in green and exploding in cheers.

Harry's attention was once again drawn to the front when, after a small girl was put in Ravenclaw, Theo was called. He went forward with a smirk, but didn't look as sure of himself as Draco had. After a short time he too was put in Slytherin. Harry couldn't imagine being in another house - would Draco still want to be friends with him?

His head snapped up when Pansy was called; his name was getting closer. She smiled at him before an emotionless mask fell over her face. Why were they all so good at doing that? Pansy was happily put in Slytherin.

Two pretty twin girls were called up, then a butch looking girl, then at last, "Potter, Harry!" The hall went silent and Harry hesitated. Blaise gave him an encouraging smile and nudged him forward. He concentrated on not stumbling or embarrassing himself and ignoring the whispers of '_The_ Harry Potter?', 'Do you think she read it wrong?', and 'So, McGonagall's finally lost it.'

The last thing he saw before the hat fell over his eyes was Draco and the rest of the Slytherins giving him thumbs up and smiles. "Hmmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes- and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting…. So where shall I put you?"

Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, _Slytherin, please Slytherin._

"Slytherin, eh?" said the little voice, "Yes, you could be great, you know, it's all here in you head, and Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness, no doubt about it. Better be… SLYTHERIN!"

Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. One side of the room broke out in shouts, cheers, and catcalls that shook the hall. He took off the hat and shakily walked to the table. As he walked to one end he was jostled by pats on the back and hair ruffling by larger kids. He lowered himself into a seat next to Pansy and across from Draco.

Pansy squealed and pulled him into a hug. He clumsily returned the gesture. No one had ever hugged him before; it was an odd feeling. Harry was so busy thinking how strange it was that he had someone that would _want_ to give him a hug that he missed the look of jealousy that flashed through Draco's eyes.

As Thomas and Turpin were sorted, Harry noticed people from other houses - especially Gryffindor - giving him odd looks. "Some people stereotype Slytherins as being evil 'kick the puppy for fun' types, so to them it's weird that the 'defeater of evil' is one," Draco explained to Harry's confused face. "You'll probably be in the paper tomorrow."

Harry's eye widened fearfully at the prospect of being reported about to thousands of people. He didn't even know wizards _had_ newspapers.

Blaise being sorted into Slytherin efficiently took Harry away from his worries. "Congratulations," Harry grinned at the boy as he took a seat next to him.

Blaise grinned back, "Ditto."

…………………………………….


	3. Chapter 3

………………………….

"Harry, look," Draco nodded toward the bulletin board in the Slytherin common room, his hair not budging an inch from its firm mold.

"Huh?" Harry yawned, scratching the back of his head and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Come on, you lazy sod." The blond rolled his eyes and his hands automatically went up to fix Harry's off center silver and green tie once it was at arms length, "we're going to start flying lessons on Thursday." His pale, nimble fingers closed over the fabric and jerked it to the left then tightened it to a comfortable snugness.

"Err, thanks," Harry flushed. He was still getting used to having to wear a tie everyday. Blaise had tried to give him a crash course in tying them but it wasn't as easy as lacing his shoes. "What did you say about flying?"

"Lessons, they're starting on Thursday."

With a furrowed brow, Harry read the notice over Draco's shoulder by the light of hanging green lanterns - windows would be a nice addition. Sure enough, out on the front lawn they would be learning how to ride broomsticks with the Gryffindors from Madam Hooch.

"Let's go, breakfast started two minutes ago," Draco called over his shoulder as he headed for the door, weaving his way through high-backed chairs and expensive looking couches. Harry himself wasn't particularly hungry; having so little food at the Dursley's, he was pretty sure his stomach had shrunk.

"Is it hard?" Harry asked in a nervous tone as they headed to the Great Hall with their Charms books in hand. The hallways in the dungeons were all almost identical except for some unique rock chips or slimy patches due to water drips. Harry kept close to Draco as to not get lost.

"Flying?" Draco shrugged. "To some people it just comes naturally, some have to struggle with it, and others just can't do it."

The youngest Malfoy sized Harry up in a way that made him feel very self-conscious. "You look like you have the build of a Seeker, maybe even a Chaser."

"A-a what?" Harry stuttered as they sat down in the middle of the Slytherin table.

"I'm guessing that you've seen the notice?" Blaise interjected between gulps of pumpkin juice.

"Yeah, explain Quidditch to him. I'm hungry," Draco commanded distractedly, already sophisticatedly digging into a plate of scrambled eggs.

"Well, there're these three balls…"

……………………………………….

"Harry, you should really eat something," Pansy chided, poking a plate of toast and strawberry jam toward him.

"Yeah," Daphne added, "it won't be that bad. I already know that I'm no good at flying but it's not like we have to do any stunts. We'll probably just hover two feet off the ground today."

"Check out that lump over at the Gryffindor table." Theo pointed out, effectively drawing attention away from Harry. "What's that he's got in his hand?"

Draco glanced over after untying a box of French chocolates from Gerulus's leg and scanning the note from his mother attached. "Looks like a Remembrall," he stated watching the ball turn scarlet, "I used to use one when Father had me tutored in Latin. Bloody useful."

"And what does it do exactly?" Harry hated times like these when he felt so uninformed, although they were becoming less and less frequent.

"The smoke inside turns red if you've forgotten something. They're banned in all classrooms at Hogwarts," Blaise explained, leaning over Millicent to be heard.

…………………………….

At three-thirty that afternoon, Harry, Draco, and the other Slytherins hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day. The grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth flat section on the opposite side of the grounds from the forbidden forest where trees swayed darkly in the distance.

The Slytherins were the first ones to get there finding two rows of ten brooms lined up - ten for the Slytherins and ten for the Gryffindors. They took the side that had the better-looking brooms on it. They left the one broom, which looked like it had lost all ability to fly a half a century ago, unused. An older year, Adrian Pucey, had warned them of the poor quality of the brooms. He had specifically said to stay away from the Sunbursts.

A few short minutes later, the other house filed down the grassy slope. The one red haired boy stood apart from the rest looking sullen while a sandy haired and a dark skinned boy talked animatedly and a chubby boy stumbled behind. Two of the girls were giggling together with their arms linked while the bushy haired one walked at a slowed pace, frantically flipping through the pages of a book held to her face.

"Watch this," Theo sniggered. Using Crabbe's hulking form as a shield, he fired a Tripping Hex at the girl hidden behind the book. Her feet came out from under her and she slipped down the hill, rolling a few feet before regaining her footing.

Theo had his wand tucked away before anyone even knew what had happened so no one pointed a finger at him. Harry couldn't help himself. He laughed along with the rest of the Slytherins while she brushed the grass stains off her knees. She had seemed like a very snooty girl who liked to show off how much more she knew than everyone else. The day before in Potions she kept speaking out of turn just to prove that she knew the answer.

Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, gray hair and yellow eyes like a hawk's.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"

"Up!" everyone shouted.

Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once, but it was one of the few that did. The bushy haired girl's just rolled over while the chubby boy's hadn't done anything. Draco and Blaise's flew right into their hands while Theo's needed some coaxing and Greg and Vince's would come halfway then drop again. Pansy's seemed almost afraid of her. After one of her patented death glares and a second fierce 'up', it snapped into her hand.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. She got to Draco and studied him for a moment.

"With whom did you learn to fly?" she questioned finally.

"Nasser, Madam," he replied respectfully, "the old Chaser for the Falmouth Falcons."

"Yes," she replied thoughtfully, rearranging his grip on the handle, "I never quite agreed with Elliot's technique. You'll be doing it my way for now." Draco gave the back of her head a dark look once she'd turned around and discreetly flipped her the bird.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground _hard_," said Madam Hooch. "Keep you brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle- three- two-"

But the chubby Gryffindor, nervous and frightened-looking, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched the teacher's lips.

"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but the boy was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle- twelve feet- twenty feet. Harry saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and-

WHAM- a thud and a nasty crack and he lay face down on the grass in a heap. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, then started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.

Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.

"Broken wrist," Harry heard her mutter. "Come on, boy- it's all right, up you get."

She turned to the rest of the class.

"None of you are to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'. Come on, dear."

Longbottom, face tear-streaked and clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch's arm around him.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Draco burst into laughter.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

The rest of the Slytherins joined in and Harry gave a vicious grin. It had been pretty entertaining if not a little pitiful.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy. "Never thought _you'd _like fat little crybabies, Parvati."

"Look!" crowed Draco, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's the stupid Remembrall Longbottom's Gran sent him."

The little glass sphere glittered like Draco's gray eyes as he held it up. No one moved to object. Draco swung a leg over his broom and his hands went to where they were before Hooch had corrected him.

"Harry, I'll show you how to fly," the blond was already hovering five feet in the air, holding the broom steady in one hand and the ball in the other.

Harry squinted up at his new best friend. The hospital wing was on the other side of the castle and Madam Hooch wouldn't make it back for _at least _another fifteen minutes.

"You'll both get expelled!" the girl with buckteeth and grass stains on her knees warned.

"My father wouldn't let them kick us out for something like this," Draco waved her off and looked pointedly at Harry.

The raven-haired boy thought it over a minute more before shrugging and mounted the broom he held. His feet pushed hard off the ground and he shot level with his friend. This was _easy_. This was the best feeling he had ever felt. He was only an adult's height off the ground and he already felt free.

His friend grinned at him, "I knew you'd be a natural." Draco started a slow climb upwards circling around with Harry continually on his tail. They were soon swooping around each other laughing like maniacs while people watched below.

Draco went to do a loop around Harry when the Remembrall slipped from his pocket. A stray sunbeam hit the side and it gleamed in Harry' vision. Like some innate instinct he leaned forward and pointed his broom handle almost perpendicular with the ground. And he was soon racing the ball to the wall of green fast approaching.

He could hear the gasps echoing in his ears as he stretched forward enough so the ball hit his fingertips then slid into his palm. With all his might he pulled up to a horizontal level, the stop throwing him from the broom none too gently. He rolled a couple of feet to the right, more green coloring now decorating his robes.

He heard a thump on the ground a couple of feet away as he watched Draco jump off his broom from six feet up and suddenly Draco was by his side panting. "What the hell were you doing!" Harry could practically see the blond'sblonde's heart beating in his throat; a panicked look on his face. "Who cares if some junk shop trinket of Longbottom's gets smashed? You could have died!"

"Calm down," Harry chuckled, rotating the small sphere that had caused all the commotion between his fingers, "I'm fine."

"Potter!"

"Or not," Harry deadpanned. Professor Snape billowed out onto the field, stopping when he came to where Harry lay with Draco kneeling over him.

"That was quite the dangerous stunt," he stated without the anger or threat Harry had expected. While in their first Potions lesson Snape hadn't particularly _said_ anything to him but he had gotten a few nasty looks. What he did to get the looks Harry wasn't sure but he was happy he hadn't had to bare the bulk of the teacher's malice. That was Neville's privilege.

"Sorry, sir," he swallowed heavily. Draco stood up beside him and offered him a hand. Harry took the slightly clammy hand and was hauled to his feet. Neither boy said anything when their hands lingered in the mutual grip.

Snape narrowed his eyes at them, "Come with me." Draco moved to follow the Potions master along with Harry. "You stay here, Malfoy. Tell Madam Hooch that I took Potter to my office, and nothing else," Snape ordered firmly.

He started to follow the dark man up to the school. Passing the Slytherins, Harry saw that they all had stunned expressions on their faces. Pansy tried to give him a reassuring smile and mouth 'It'll be okay' to him. The red haired Gryffindor boy had a malicious expression on his face that held a look of joy at Harry's upcoming punishment.

His legs felt like lead as they climbed the front steps to the school. Snape still hadn't said anything and the longer the silence went on the more nervous he got. Harry was confused when they bypassed the stairs to the dungeons where Snape's office was located and headed up the marble staircase to the second floor.

Harry's strides were bordering on running, trying to keep up with the man's pace. He abruptly stopped and wrenched open one of the classroom doors. A class of Slytherins and Ravenclaws swiveled to face the entrance to see who it was and Professor Quirrell paused mid-stutter.

"S-Severus?" he asked, his eyes darting around the room.

Snape completely ignored him and turned to one of the students, "Flint, my office." The dark man didn't wait for a response; he was out the door before Quirrell could give permission or request the boy be left in class.

The burly boy cast a confused glance at his head of house's back and Harry's small frame but dared not hesitate in following orders. He gathered his books and parchment scraps and with a whispered request for the day's notes was out the door and by Harry's side.

The addition to their little contingency made things even more uncomfortable for Harry. He still had questions flying around in his head. What was Snape planning on doing with him? Was Flint here for more muscle in his punishment? Would the punishment be physical? He had heard that old moth-eaten caretaker limping around muttering about giving kids a good whipping. Would he be kicked out of school like Madam Hooch had promised? Draco _had _said that his father wouldn't allow that to happen.

During Harry's internal panic attack, his feet had dutifully followed Snape down into the slightly familiar dungeons and to where he had originally thought they were going. Snape's office was dank and looked like something out of one of those old black-and-white horror movies Dudley used to watch. Things Harry had never before seen, and wished he hadn't, floated around in jars with multicolored liquids preserving them.

The professor took a seat behind his desk in a high-backed green leather chair with silver studs. He motioned to the two stiff-backed, armless wooden chairs situated before him. Flint took his seat with a great deal more confidence than Harry did.

"I'll get right to the point, both of you have lessons to get to," Snape stated calmly. Harry thought this statement odd since they had lunch next but wasn't audacious enough to correct the teacher. Snape probably wanted them out of his presence as soon as possible. Snape directed his gaze at Marcus, "I've found you a new Seeker."

"But, sir, Terence is…" Flint started with a wary glance at Harry. Even if Snape had found them a better Seeker, _surely_ it wasn't this scrawny little first year. Flint knew his head of house would never give a position to someone due to celebrity.

"Mr. Higgs may have the position of reserve Seeker. On his first time on a broom, Potter here made a catch that would make Charlie Weasley beg for lessons," Snape's voice was quiet and final. Flint's eye twitched at the man's words and he gave Harry a look as if he was made of his favorite candy. Harry was a _tad bit_ uncomfortable.

"If Terence knows what's good for him, he'll be accepting. I trust you'll be the one to tell him," which in other words meant that Snape was giving the job of kicking the boy off the team to Marcus.

"Yes, sir."

…………………………..


	4. Chapter 4

…………………..

He felt Quirrell's arm wrench from his grasp, knew all was lost, and fell into blackness, down… down… down…

…………………

From the cold and blackness came the warmth of the sun shining on his closed eyelids and a sense of calmness that he had never felt before. With his eyes still shut, feigning sleep a bit longer, he tried to get a sense of his surroundings. There was no way he could feel this safe if he was still in the dungeons with Quirrell.

He was on a mattress; of that he was certain. He felt a warm snugness on one side of his body, a slight pressure across his chest, and could feel slight movements from the comfortable mass. It all added up in his mind…There was someone in the bed with him! Panic started to rise in his chest until he forced himself to breathe.

Slowly and hesitantly he opened his eyes only to be met with the sight of his best friend's pale skin. Draco's face was so close to his own that the tips of their noses were almost touching. Looking closely Harry could see dried tear tracks that made the alabaster skin slightly darker, originating from the blond's matted charcoal eyelashes that fluttered slightly against his cheeks. His mouth was open in a perfect pink 'o' and he would occasionally flick his tongue out to wet his chapped lips. Harry lay peacefully watching the other boy's chest rise and fall rhythmically.

Harry felt a tingling feeling in his heart that he'd never experienced before. Sighting where Draco had their hands joined between their chests, he decided to pin it to possessiveness. He had never had anything that he had ever thought was that important to him, excluding the memory of his parents. But now Draco was **his **_best friend_. And he wasn't planning on having that change anytime soon.

………………………….

"Stay at Florean Fortescue's for the next half hour, Draco," Lucius beseeched his son. "I have some _business_ to attend to that I'm sure Mr. Potter would find quite dull. Understood?"

Draco sighed and took the money for the sundaes and nodded his head. "He might as well put tracking spells on us," he muttered to Harry.

"Don't be such a drama queen, Drake," the other boy laughed, "This is ice cream we're talking about!" Harry was in a _very _good mood. He had spent the beginning of the summer at the Dursleys', but last week Draco had once again come to the rescue with that same shining black limo and swept Harry off to the wizarding world.

"The littlest things make you happy," Draco said in amazement as they walked down the crowded street full of bartering witches and wizards.

"Are you calling yourself little?" he joked lightly, but both their cheeks were stained a light pink as they claimed a table and called the old waiter over.

……………………..

"I know how much you hate being the center of attention," Draco whispered in his ear in the crowded book store, making Harry's body flush with a strange new feeling, "so if you wanna stay out of the papers, stay away from the Lockhart nut."

Harry nodded in understanding and shifted away from the photographer standing five people in front of them. He noticed a red headed girl staring avidly at him close by. Her gaze made him uncomfortable and once again he edged closer to Draco. Neither mentioned their close vicinity or how both had a heavy blush on their cheeks.

"_Where is Father?_" Draco growled, suppressing the urge to pull Harry_ closer _while growing impatient waiting in this line with people as low class as the _Weasleys_. "Let's go wait outside."

The sight that met them at the entranceway was something that neither expected. Lucius Malfoy had a hard look on his face and was standing opposite five people with the same flaming ginger hair and densely freckled faces, including a set of twins and a Gryffindor boy in their year.

"Figures, Weasley doesn't have any friends here with him," Draco sniggered loudly so the sound carried to where the boy was standing. Harry just smiled, placated by the feeling of fingers twisting into his own, and allowed himself to be dragged by the hand to stand by Draco's father.

Lucius' eyes swept over the sight of his one and only son holding the hand of the Boy Who Lived and looking like he wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world.

Draco saw the look of hesitation pass over his father's face. A look that most people would have missed, but Draco could read his father no matter how good the man was at masking his emotions. Years of trying to get under the man's skin to somehow find a real Dad had given him that ability. He saw him hand the Weasley girl a book and pocket another one so discreetly that no one else seemed to notice.

……………………….

"Do it again!" Blaise exclaimed excitedly while sitting cross-legged in the common room.

For an early Christmas present, Draco's father had gotten him a familiar, a Black Racer snake. No one could figure out why but it had taken an immediate liking to Harry more than the others, almost as much as it favored Draco.

They had just figured out why.

The majority of the Slytherins were gathered around Harry as Orexis coiled her way up his arm. "Do I have to," Harry moaned, he hated having everyone stare at him like this.

"I think that's enough for tonight," Draco came to the rescue, crawling over to Harry and extending his arm so Orexis slid between them back to her master, her sleek black scales shining in the torch light.

"_Good night, atrum unus-s-s," _she hissed with a flick of her tail.

"_S-s-same to you,_" He laughed as the people around him cheered.

…………………………

"I don't know how many more of these I can stand!" Harry leaned his head on Draco's shoulder as another dwarf with a diaper shoved halfway up his wrinkled bottom trotted away, checking his list for the next victim.

"So that's three for you and five for me?" Draco laughed as they headed to charms. "I'm beating you," he said with a lavish grin.

"This is one contest I don't care if you win," Harry said heatedly. They were half way up the stairs when they heard: "Oy, you! 'Arry Potter!"

"Oh, dear god, you _cannot_ be serious," his shoulders slumped in defeat as they got to the top of the stairs.

"Over here!" Draco used his two-inch height advantage to point his friend out to the dwarf.

"You bloody bastard," Harry growled.

"Where's your competitive spirit?" he shook Harry on the shoulder.

"It died after the second Romeo and Juliet quote," Harry stated bitterly with narrowed eyes.

If it was possible, after Draco had been made a Chaser on the Slytherin Quidditch team the two had become even more inseparable. With Quidditch practice every night they would return to the common room muddy and exhilarated in each other's presence. At night they often sat together on one bed talking and laughing until the early hours in the morning, much to their roommates' chagrin.

Draco was having trouble hiding the jealousy and eventual vicious satisfaction that filled his chest, for reasons unknown, when Harry received then turned down each valentine.

"Well it better resurrect itself soon because I am not loosing the Quidditch Cup or the House Cup for Slytherin," he stage whispered with a smile as the dwarf adjusted his halo and cleared his throat:

_His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,_

_His hair is as dark as a blackboard,_

_I wish he was mine, he's really divine,_

_The hero who conquered the Dark Lord_

There were two moments of awkward silence before: "That was sure some _original_ poetry!" Draco gasped out in between bouts of laughter. Harry chuckled along as well even though he _hated_ being called a hero.

"I can't believe I got one from a Weasley," he groaned as she saw the girl running down the hall in tears.

"That makes it even funnier!"

"As funny as the one you got from Sally-Anne Perks, the _Hufflepuff?_" Harry laughed viciously as Draco blanched and looked around to see who had heard.

…………………………

"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"

"Do you think he's still here?" Blaise whispered as he, Pansy, Daphne, Draco, and Harry pulled their sleeping bags into a circle near the wall where the Slytherin House table usually sat.

He spoke, of course, of Sirius Black. The Bloody Baron had spotted him in the dungeons trying to break into the Slytherin common room. Everyone knew that the convict was on the loose and in the area but none had expected him to actually try and get into the castle.

Harry lay dazedly staring up at the sky above him; he imagined that this is what it would have been like if the Dursleys had ever taken him on a camping trip. Except for the tiny little detail of having an insane mass murderer after him. That changed thing _just a little._

He didn't pay much mind to the conversation and Draco took notice. He heard the blond try and discreetly direct the conversation away from the subject of the escapee. _Draco has always been good at that, at getting people to do what he wants without them knowing what's happening._ Harry thought idly to himself.

Not an hour after he had heard the news of Black's escape on the Dursleys' kitchen television, Draco had arrived at his door. The blond had looked nervous and kept looking behind him with a nervous fidget.

……..Flashback………

Harry was about to greet his friend properly with a hug when Draco had burst out, "Go get your things!"

"Wha-?"

"I'll explain it later, just hurry up. You're staying with me for the rest of the summer; it's safer there," Draco said with a look over his shoulder.

"Safer?" Harry asked, confused. What did he need to be safe from?

"Get your things!" Draco yelled pushing Harry into the house, closing the door behind him and instinctively pushing Harry towards the stairs.

"Boy! What's happening in there?" Uncle Vernon shouted from the sitting room. Harry's eyes went wide; it would _not_ be good if Vernon found one of his friends from school at their house.

"N-nothing!" Harry called back, "I just stubbed my toe!" Harry grabbed Draco by the wrist and hauled him up the stairs to his miniscule bedroom. It took him less than two minutes to clean out his room of all his belongings and empty the loose floorboard under his bed.

"What is this all about, Draco?" Harry asked firmly leaning on his stuffed trunk.

"Sirius Black!" Draco panted while fumbling with a chain around his neck and taking quick steps toward Harry.

"What has some Muggle con-" Harry began to ask, severely confused.

"I'll explain later," Draco cried. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do, but-" Draco shoved a smooth stone into Harry's hand and clasped it in his own. Harry barely had a moment to register what was happening when it felt like there was a blunt hook pulling at his chest and the world spun around him. The image of his friend standing with his eyes firmly shut was the only thing that remained clear.

When the world stopped moving at an all too dizzying rate, Harry fell flat on his bum Thankfully his head was saved by the plush maroon carpeting underneath him. "Draco," Harry said slowly, "where exactly are we?"

"Your room," Draco said matter-of-factly, "…well, your room in Malfoy Manor at least."

Harry had had enough. "Explain," he grit out.

So Draco told Harry everything his father had told him about the escaped man. The blond had taken a deep gulp of air and reached for Harry's hand when he was nearing the end of his tale.

"There's one more thing, Harry." The boy's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.

What could shock him after learning a mass murderer was out to kill him for something he did before he could even talk? "It's about your parents' relationship with Black."

………………..

"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted, breaking Harry out of his reverie. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking."

The candles all went out at once. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts who were drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars. What with that, and the whispering that still filled the hall, Harry felt as though he was surrounded by a light wind.

His eyes drifted shut in mockery of sleep as the Head Boy walked by. He stayed like that for god knows how long, until he heard a rustling nearby. After another silence he wrote it off as a restless sleeper.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand cover his mouth in a tight but gentle hold. His eyes snapped open then released a breath heavily out his nose when he saw Draco kneeling next to him. The blond placed a finger to his lips and motioned for Harry to make room. Harry moved until he was pressed against the seam of the sleeping bag.

Draco silently slipped into the empty space. It was tight, but not uncomfortably so. Draco laid his head down on the pillow and locked eyes with Harry.

It was one of those times when they didn't need words; they were at an understanding. This was Draco's way of saying that he'd be here, without the sappy words. Harry knew he'd never hear any professions of adoration or loyalty, but the feelings were there.

Draco laced his right hand with Harry's left and they gave a mutual squeeze of reassurance. Draco's eyelids fell to meet his cheeks and his steady breath, that smelt of toothpaste and the raspberry creams that he horded under his bed, ghosted over Harry's face.

As Harry fought against the fatigue that darkened the edges of his eyes, he remembered the time when they were eleven and Draco had stayed with him for three days and nights straight, never straying out of arms reach. Harry's eyes closed as he placed the lightest of kisses on their intertwined fingers.

…………………..


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**: I've been a complete ass and idiot by forgetting to thank Nzomniac for the amazing beta work.

…………………..

"Now, you're sure you thanked you're father properly?" Harry asked for what had to be the thousandth time.

"Yes, I'm _sure_," Draco bit out with an exasperated chuckle.

"Sorry, sorry," Harry placated, linking arms with his best friend and hurrying their pace. "I just thought there was no hope of me going to Hogsmeade this year."

Draco let out a big puff of chilly October air. "Harry, Harry, you underestimate the power of a Malfoy."

Harry grinned, "Never again shall I commit such an offense."

……………………….

"Draco?" Harry inquired softly from where he lay in his bed.

The blond peeked around the hangings before crawling onto the bed and lying down next to the raven-haired boy, "Yeah?"

Harry gave a soft smile and moved over so the other had more room. "I just wanted you to know that it means a lot to me that you stayed with me for Christmas. I know it took quite a bit of persuading with 'Cissa but…"

"But last year at the Manor my father scared you shitless?" Draco chuckled.

"Yeah that about covers it," the boys' laughter echoed in the dorm room void of anyone but themselves. They lay in silence for a time just enjoying the familiar comfort that the other one's presence brought.

Harry let loose a large yawn and decided it was time for sleep. "I'm," he started but realized that his companion was already snoozing, soft snores escaping his open lips.

Harry pulled the covers over the both of them and snuggled down into the other's body warmth. "Goodnight," he whispered and pressed a kiss to the flaxen head.

In the dark of night Draco's hand sought out the other's and only fell back asleep when their fingers were twisted around each other's.

………………………..

"This place is amazing!" Harry breathed, looking around at the large Victorian house surrounded by woods. The rumbling of his godfather's motorbike slowed to a stop and Harry felt a presence at his side.

He looked up into the face of Sirius Black, his newly acquitted godfather and guardian. Dumbledore had appealed to the Ministry to let Harry stay in the Dursleys' custody but it had been a unanimous decision that the headmaster had no business in a pupil's personal life. It was an easy battle for Sirius to gain custody with him being an innocent man after Peter's testimony (his last public words before the Dementors Kiss) and the Dursleys practically giving Harry to him.

"And nothing like Grimmauld Place," Sirius muttered.

"What'd you say?" Harry asked not really paying attention and already gravitating toward the fence gate.

"Nothing," the older man shook his head making his ragged locks swing back and forth and clearing the haunted look from his eyes, "let's go check it out."

They spent the day decorating the numerous rooms on the first floor - the kitchen, the dining room, the library, the study; and then the upstairs - master bedroom and bath, guestrooms, and extra baths.

"And for the grand finale…" Sirius waved a ring of keys in the air as they got to the end of the hallway. He plucked a key out of the bunch and fit into the lock while Harry stood behind him, nervously picking at his shirtsleeve.

The door swung open, "… your room." Since it was in the back right corner of the house there were windows on two walls, the ones on the left being a large bay window with comfortable looking silver pillows. Next to it sat a large dark mahogany dresser that matched the large bed in the center of the opposite wall. The majority of the room was done in silver but there were some accents, like the carpet, that were in the dark blue of the Falmouth Falcons, the boy's favorite Quidditch team. Then he looked up and realized that the ceiling had pictures of the actual Falcons themselves swooping around in a never-ending Quidditch practice.

"I had someone come over the other day to decorate it as a surprise," Sirius said nervously from where he stood by the bay window rubbing the back of his neck, "I wasn't sure what your favorite color was and since you have enough green at school I thought that maybe you'd want a change and then you mentioned something about the Falcons and I thought that since you love Quidditch this…"

His rant was cut off when Harry tackled him onto the cushions with a giant hug. Harry had tears running down his cheeks and even with his face buried in the older man's chest Sirius could hear the continuous chant of, "Thank you, thank you, thank you…"

…………………………….

"You and Remus behave while I'm gone," Harry waggled his eyebrows before sidestepping his godfather's playful punch.

"Yeah, well you and the Malfoy spawn better be nice to the Gryffindors. We're good people," Sirius shot back.

Harry stuck out his tongue, "Maybe they were in your time but not many of them are any fun now."

"'My '_time_'? You know I'm not that old," Sirius pouted.

"Whatever you say, old-timer," Harry laughed before darting down the platform in search of his friends.

"I'll get you, Bambi!" Sirius laughed hot on his charge's heels.

Spotting a trio of white blond heads, Harry made a beeline for the group. When he finally reached them, he grabbed Draco around the shoulders and spun him around to use as a human shield, "Save me!"

"Wha…?" Draco was in the middle of asking when his answer came bounding through the crowd.

"You can't run forever," Sirius panted.

"See," Harry pointed, "you're out of breath, you're _old_."

Sirius growled, grabbed Harry from behind his friend and drew him into a hug. "Promise to write and firecall or I'll paint your room in permanent red and gold with lions."

"Okay," Harry smiled and waved as Sirius took his leave. The whole time the Malfoys had been watching the exchange with amusement (well, amusement for Draco and Narcissa and distaste for Lucius).

Sirius had grudgingly accepted that Harry was a Slytherin and best friends with a Malfoy to boot when they had first met in third year. That summer Sirius and Lucius had some tense forced time spent together through visitations and the fiasco that was the World Cup. During the Death Eater reveling Sirius had kept a close eye on the former Dark Lord follower.

"Well, we must be going, son. You know what's expected of you," Lucius drawled and extended his arm for his wife to take.

Narcissa was getting teary again and settled for kissing her son's forehead and smiling "Don't be too devious." She turned to Harry, "Lily would be proud."

……………………

The blast of noise that met Harry's ears when the stone blocks slid open almost knocked him backward. Next thing he knew, he was being wrenched inside the common room by about a dozen pairs of hands and was facing the whole of Slytherin House, all of whom were screaming, applauding, and whistling.

"You should've told us you'd entered!" bellowed Blaise. He looked half annoyed, half deeply impressed.

"How did you do it without getting a beard? Brilliant!" roared Theodore.

"I didn't," Harry said. "I don't know how-"

But Warrington had now swooped down upon him; "If it couldn't be me, at least it's a Slytherin-"

"We've got food, Harry. Come and have some-"

"I'm not hungry, I had enough at the feast-"

Someone was about to force a butterbeer on him when Draco came pushing through the crowd, "Give the man some room, you leeches!" he yelled at the crowded room at large. Draco's fingers found his own and dragged him over to one of the couches by the fire, sending death glares to anyone who tried to follow them.

Draco sat him down on the couch and took a seat next to him; "You didn't put your name in there, did you? I know you would have told me, and wanting attention is not like you _at all_."

A wave of relief swept through Harry at his friend's intuition; he knew Draco would understand. Harry shook his head earnestly with a look of apprehension in his eyes.

"Well, there's no way of getting you out of it, magically binding contract and all that rot, but if you ever need any help anyone in Slytherin will gladly give it to you, cheating or not," Harry was only slightly comforted by Draco's words but nodded in understanding.

"But first we have to tell this lot," the blond jabbed his thumb in the direction of their partying housemates, "that you didn't do this on purpose."

"And you plan on doing that how?" Harry asked skeptically.

"Pansy!" Draco called to the girl who was standing on the edges of the crowd closest to them, talking to Daphne and an upper year. Harry was amazed that the girl could hear her name being called over the din but was pretty sure that she had been trying to listen in.

"What is it, sweetheart?" she cooed, striding over to where they sat.

Draco scowled at the pet name but knew that Pansy was just trying to get on his nerves, "Get everyone's attention. We've got an announcement."

"Yes sir," she mock saluted before climbing onto the back of an armchair so she was taller than the crowd.

"I'm collecting money to buy the firstie Hufflepuffs sundaes. Who wants to pitch in!" she bellowed and the crowd went deathly silent. "Just kidding," she grinned, "but while I've your attention, your champion has something to say." They all waited expectantly while Draco shoved Harry to stand up.

"Um…" Harry started awkwardly, not really sure what to say, "see the thing is… I didn't put my name in the goblet." A lower year started laughing but Blaise punched him in the shoulder and glared at him. "I'm serious," Harry continued, "I don't know who put my name in there or how they did it but it wasn't me."

People started to look crestfallen and disappointed. They weren't going to have a champion compete? For some reason Harry felt the need to console them. "But I still have to compete so Slytherin will still have a champion." Cheers went up with that statement and the party continued, the serpent house confident with their chance at history in this Triwizard Tournament, whether willingly or not.

……………………………


	6. Chapter 6

_Dear Sirius,_

_You told me to keep you posted on what's happening at Hogwarts, so here goes- I don't know if you've heard, but the Triwizard Tournament's happening this year and on Saturday night I got picked as a fourth champion. I don't know who put my name in the Goblet of Fire, because I didn't. The other Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory, from Hufflepuff. Hope you're okay, and Remus._

_Harry_

Draco smiled at him from where he sat across the table, "He'll be happy that you're remembering to write."

Harry smiled back and tied the letter to Hedwig's leg before feeding her some toast and letting her go, "Yeah, he will be."

……………………….

Draco sneered and flipped off another fifth year Hufflepuff as they made their way down to the dungeons for double Potions with the Gryffindors.

"Draco, I really wish you would take off that stupid badge, it's embarrassing," Harry practically begged, gesturing to the pin that in neon green letters announced:

**Harry Potter**

**The _Slytherin_ Champion**

**_The_ Hogwarts Champion**

Draco waved him off dismissively, "We can't have you upstaged by a Hufflepuff, even if you don't_ want _to be in the competition."

Harry sighed, he knew this was a losing battle… the badges would stay. They came to the dungeon doors and saw groups of people from both Houses waiting for their Potion's Master.

"Nice badges," Weasley sneered and snickered at the things.

"I know, aren't they?" Pansy said with narrowed eyes, she stood up and came to stand next to Harry, "I made them myself."

"Want one, Weasel?" said Draco, holding out a badge to Ron. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a blood traitor sliming it up."

Weasley growled and reached for his wand and drew it to point right at Draco. Harry grabbed Draco's arm to stop him from retaliating and gestured vaguely to something down the hallway as an explanation.

"Oh, Ron, don't start a fight," a voice pleaded from nearby, "you'll get in such trouble and you could loose House points."

"Why don't you just mind your own business or go tell someone who cares, Granger," the boy barked at his own housemate, "**_Tarantallegra!"_**

Harry let go of Draco's arm just in time for him to draw it before the spell hit, "**_Protego!" _The jinx hit the shield and dissipated harmlessly.**

"Tut, tut, tut," said a soft, deadly voice.

Snape had arrived. The Slytherins clamored to give their explanations; Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Malfoy and said, "Explain."

"Weasley just attacked me, Professor, just before you arrived. I didn't fight back because I know it's against school rules to perform magic or duel in the halls. I was just protecting myself."

"But he insul-" Ron burst forth angrily.

"No amount of verbal abuse justifies physical retaliation, Mr. Weasley," Snape said coldly, "twenty-five points from Gryffindor. Now get in the classroom the lot of you."

……………………….

_Harry,_

_I know better than anyone that you can look after yourself, and while you're around Dumbledore and Moody I don't think anyone will be able to hurt you. However, someone seems to be having a good try. Entering you in that tournament would have been risky, especially right under Dumbledore's nose._

_Remus and I should be able to come watch the first task and we can talk in person there about things you need to know._

_Be on watch, Harry. I still want to hear about anything unusual._

_Sirius_

The day after Harry received this letter from his godfather, which lifted his spirits quite a bit, Rita Skeeter published her piece about the Triwizard Tournament. It turned out to be not so much a report on the tournament as a highly colored life story of Harry.

Draco gave Harry a strange look after he read the article over Pansy's shoulder. "You know, Harry, if you ever want to talk…"

"Don't even start, Draco," Harry sighed into his porridge. _Great, now even _Draco_ thinks I'm a sniveling baby_; Harry growled internally, "None of that drivel's true."

Draco laughed and let out a big sigh, "Thought I had a Hufflepuff for a best friend for a minute there." For some reason that Harry had not yet been able to explain, every time Draco called him his '_best_ friend' it gave him a tingly feeling in his chest, like a warm blanket. But then an angry look came over Draco's face, "You mean she printed this stuff _quoting you_ and you never said any of it?"

Harry fidgeted in his seat, not sure what Draco was mad at and hoping it wasn't him, "I really don't remember even saying three consecutive words in that 'interview'."

"Harry," Draco said in a partly patronizing and slightly exasperated tone with a touch of indignation, "that's _illegal_; she can't say you said this stuff in a printed article if you didn't."

"What's it matter?" Harry grumbled, spinning his spoon around a particularly unappetizing lump, "The damage's already been done. There's not one kid in this school who hasn't read or heard that I'm an attention whore that sobs himself to sleep over parents he can't even remember."

"See," Pansy said patting him comfortingly on the arm, "when stuff like this happens what you have to do is retaliate."

"How? It's not like I can write an article or something. It'd just be ignored, like what I really said to her."

Pansy rolled her eyes, "You really are new to high society, aren't you?"

Harry blushed but still had no idea what he was missing. Draco sighed again, "You can _sue_. For personal damages. That Skeeter woman could lose her job for crap like this. I don't know how she got away with it, publishing it without her editor checking with you first."

Harry looked shocked, "I can sue? But I don't have a lawyer and wouldn't have any idea of what to do."

Draco laughed, "Of course you can. Pure-bloods took a stand a long time ago to stop people from writing whatever they pleased about us. Father can handle all of it for you, don't worry."

……………………….

From the minute Harry woke up on Tuesday morning, his heart had been beating twice its normal pace. He focused on his feet moving forward on the walk to breakfast to try and calm himself, but it did little to help.

As soon as his bottom hit the wood of the Slytherin bench, he was hounded with questions:

"Are you nervous?"

"Can I get you anything?"

"Do you think you'll be able to concentrate in class?"

"Do you know what's happening today?"

"Do you think you'll do okay?"

His head started to spin with a terrible headache and he just wanted the world to go away and leave him be. "Would you just leave him alone, you bloody vultures," Draco growled to the crowd at large. On second thought, the world should still leave him alone but Draco could stay.

He really felt like banging his head on the table but decided it would be better if he just put some bacon in his mouth and attempt to chew. In his dazed state it took him a few moments to realize that a hand had wound itself into his own.

His first logical thought was that it was Draco, as he was the only one that had ever held his hand before. But it had never been in public, he would never expect that of the boy. However he then realized that Draco was sitting across the table and currently in an argument with Blaise over bets on today's event, gesturing wildly with both hands.

Harry tensed and turned to the right to be met with the made-up face of Daphne Greengrass; he thought it was odd that Draco's hand would suddenly have such dainty fingers and long pointed nails.

"Hi, Harry," the girl purred in a way that made Harry nervous.

"Hi," he choked out.

"I hope you do well today," she said squeezing his hand and biting her glossed lip.

By now Draco had caught on to what was happening and noticed the way Greengrass was fawning over Harry, _his_ Harry, and noted the absence of one of her hands from the table. Jealousy welled up inside of him in a blood-tinged wave and he gripped his butter knife tighter.

"Thanks," Harry replied shakily when he noticed the death glare Draco was sending their way. He carefully disentangled himself from the girl and stood with his books, sending a surprised look to the blond.

_Why hadn't Draco told him he had a crush on the girl? _


	7. Chapter 7

Fleur Delacour was sitting in a corner on a low wooden stool. She didn't look nearly as composed as usual, but rather pale and clammy. Viktor Krum looked even surlier than usual, which Harry supposed was his way of showing nerves. Cedric was pacing up and down. When Harry entered, Cedric glanced over and raised an eyebrow. Harry sent him a half-hearted sneer; he had other things to worry about than the stupid Hufflepuff pretty boy.

Harry had noticed - with a fair amount of unexpected jealousy - that although Draco was one of the most outspoken Hufflepuff-haters in Slytherin, he spent a fair amount of time glancing at the chiseled boy whenever he had the chance. Well, no matter. Harry figured that Karkaroff had without a doubt told Krum about the dragons, and Madame Maxime, Fleur. That meant that Cedric was the only one without the knowledge of the task to come.

……………………..

"Look at that!" Bagman was yelling. "Will you look at that! Our youngest champion is quickest to get his egg! Well, this is going to shorten the odds on Mr. Potter!"

Harry saw the dragon keepers rushing forward to subdue the Horntail and over the entrance to the enclosure, Professor Snape, Professor Moody, and Hagrid hurrying to meet him, all of them waving him toward them, their smiles evident even from this distance. 'All of them', of course, meaning Professor Moody and Hagrid; Snape was not one to show emotion like that.

He flew back over the stands, the noise of the crowd pounding his eardrums, and came in easily to land, his heart lighter than it had been in weeks…. He'd gotten through the first task, he had survived….

"Very well done, Potter," Snape said smoothly as he got off the Firebolt – which from him was extravagant praise. The man's steady hand pointed to his shoulder. "You'll need to see Madam Pomfrey before the judges give out your score…. Over there, she's had to mop up Diggory already…."

Harry walked out of the enclosure, still panting, and saw Madam Pomfrey standing at the mouth of a second tent, looking worried.

"Dragons!" she said, in a disgusted tone, pulling Harry inside. The tent was divided into cubicles; he could make out Cedric's shadow through the canvas, but Cedric didn't seem to be badly injured. He was sitting up, at least.

Harry hoped it _hurt_.

She cleaned the cut with a dab of some purple liquid that smoked and stung, but then poked his shoulder with her wand and he felt it heal instantly.

"Now, just sit quietly for a minute – _sit!_ And then you can go and get your score."

Harry only waited long enough to see the nurse's skirt swish around the curtain before hopping off the makeshift examination table and ducking around the other corner. He didn't have time to just sit around; he had to go find Draco to tell him that he was okay.

"Harry!" a familiar girlish voice called out to his right and he whirled around only to be crushed in a bruising hug. All he could see was the pitch black hair covering his face.

"Time to let go," Draco pried Pansy off the other boy good-naturedly and glanced awkwardly at Harry for a moment.

"Stop being such a prat and hug me already," Harry joked shyly but was cut off as he was consumed by an even tighter embrace than he had gotten from Pansy; he gave as much as he got.

He heard words being muttered against his shoulder and wetness on the skin between his collar and neck. Harry pulled back to look at his best friend who was wiping his eyes embarrassingly. He could only make out the last few syllables, "…'ve lost you."

Harry was so overcome with emotions he wanted to laugh, cry, and hit Draco all at the same time. _Laugh_ because the absurdity of the situation had finally hit him. He's fourteen and he's in a competition where he was most likely going to be _killed_. _Cry_ because he had made Draco _cry_; the thought gave him a guilty stab in the chest. And _hit_ Draco because the time to be emotional was over, he was _okay_ now.

He settled for smiling and giving Draco's hand a squeeze, "I'm fine."

………………………….

Harry bit the inside of his lip for what had to be the hundredth time in the last five minutes. The coppery tang of blood started to seep into his mouth, making him long to be able to spit out the taste onto the rug next to him. He took a deep breath, "So…uhh Draco… h-have you any idea who you're going to go to the ball with?"

His friend gave him a searching look from the other side of the couch. This was the first time Harry had sounded so nervous talking to him since the first time they met, "Eh… not really… I mean there is-"

"I saw the way you were looking at Daphne the other day," Harry blurted out interrupting the other boy.

"What do you mean?" Draco closed his book and furrowed his brow, the conversation finally getting his attention.

"You were, I don't know how to explain it… you looked… dreamy? But whatever you call it, it was obvious that you like her. Why don't you just ask her? Any girl would be happy to go with you," Harry's cheeks flushed after he let out those last few words. Where had that come from? He hadn't meant to say _that_.

"Harry I-I-" Draco started stuttering with a panicked expression, his eyes darting about the room.

"Why can't you just admit it?" Harry huffed, starting to get slightly miffed that his best friend wouldn't tell him a simple thing like the girl he fancied? Wasn't that what friends did?

"Admit what?" Draco said hotly.

"That you _fancy_ her!" Harry said exasperated, it was the obvious conclusion.

"But I don't!" Draco shot back desperately.

"_Fine_, whatever!" Harry snapped. He got up and stormed back to the dorm leaving a devastated Draco behind.

Pansy looked up from her spot in a secluded corner, curled up with a book and some cocoa, and rolled her eyes. Harry could be so_ thick_ sometimes.

…………………..

"I… um… I'm going to the b-ball with Erica R-Rosenblatt," Harry said awkwardly with a forced offhandedness. The pretty girl, a third year Ravenclaw, had approached him the day before and had been quite forward about asking. Far from wounding his ego, a girl asking _him_ to go had lifted the responsibility off his shoulders. So what if he didn't particularly _fancy_ her? He liked her shining blonde hair and light blue eyes.

Draco slowly raised his eyes from the dancing flames in the grate before him; he had to blink a few times to stop the circles marring his vision. "Are you now?" He said noncommittally with a tight smile.

"You know, Daph-" Harry started, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm going with Pansy," Draco cut him off sharply while consciously shifting over on the couch he was sitting on.

Harry collapsed into the open space gratefully at the unspoken invitation. He had missed this for the few long days they had been in a spat, just sitting together and basking in the bond that they had. Harry had sat with Blaise in the back of classes trying to ignore the torch light reflecting off the back of Draco's gelled head. Harry had never realized how distracting looking at Draco could be.

…………………

"Did Vince or Greg ever find anyone to go with?" Harry asked over the rushing sound of water in the showers.

"Yeah, they did," Draco said turning off his water and grabbing a towel. He still had a lot to do before he would be ready for the ball.

"Really," Harry asked stepping from his own stall and towel drying his hair into its usual mess, "who?"

"Each other," the boy responded with a smile. There was a pause before Draco burst out in giggles at the look on his friends face. "I know it's disgusting to imagine but you can't tell me that you didn't see it coming."

"I-I didn't," Harry stuttered, starting to blush, "they're both boys."

"So?" Draco's gray eyes narrowed into slits, "You're not one of those homosexual-hating Muggles, are you?"

"Not at all," Harry was quick to clarify as they walked back into their dorm, though he knew very well that his uncle was. "I-I just never _knew_. I mean, is it common?"

"You have so much to learn," Draco smiled knowingly. "It's very common, maybe not as much among younger people as older. But to the most prestigious families the only important thing is being able to produce an heir. You can have children either way, so it doesn't matter."

Harry smoothed out his simple black robes that paled in comparison to Draco's sleek velvet and silk ones and gave the other boy an appraising look. "Pansy had wanted to see me in the common room before we left. I'll see you out there." Draco nodded in understanding and went back to fixing his collar so that it lay straight.

……………………

"Pansy," Draco growled, not seeing his best friend as he walked into the common room, "where's Harry?"

"I'm right here," Harry said turning around from where he had been standing next to the girl. Pansy smirked, mentally giving herself a pat on the back when she heard Draco's breathe catch in his throat and saw his eyes go wide. She had used some of her own Sleekeazy's Hair Potion and then a straightening spell on Harry's head so his hair lay shiny and flat across his forehead in a chic manner. Quickly flipping through the _CosmoWitch,_ she had found a spell to quickly change fabric colors and had dyed Harry's robe the color of his eyes. Pansy knew it drove Draco wild seeing his crush in that color.

"You look...nice," Draco said tightly and sent a glare filled with righteous indignation towards the preening girl.

"You do too," Harry said brightly, suddenly thankful for all the work Pansy had done on him. He thought Draco rather looked like one of those vampires in the smutty romance novels Aunt Petunia used to read. With high collars and cheekbones, they would lure you into bed then bite when you least suspected it.

"We should be going," Draco said quickly through his blush, grabbing Pansy's arm and literally pulling her out of the room. "I am _so_ angry with you right now," Draco spat out in a whisper as they trudged down the corridor to the entrance hall.

"Why Draco, I have no idea what you're talking about," Pansy replied in a tittering tone as Harry caught up with them. She swore she could hear Draco's heart beat faster.

…………………

**A/N:** Sorry for the _long_ wait, life is _hell_. I'll have the ball posted as soon as possible.


	8. Chapter 8

Beta: Nzomniac

………………

The group of Slytherins came up the steps from the dungeons into the Great Hall. Pansy always loved to make a show of things and even though she knew Draco's heart wasn't in it, she made him parade her around the entrance hall. Oh how Pansy loved the attention she got in her new pink robes, making sure people noticed the diamonds glittering from her fingers, neck, and wrists.

Harry stood off to the side half-heartedly glancing around the hall looking for his date. He really wasn't looking forward to tonight. He had beseechingly gone to Pansy for dancing lessons when he had learned that it would be a necessity for the champions. She had come up with an excuse that Harry was hard pressed to believe, but his spirits lifted when she mentioned that Draco would be an excellent dance instructor.

…………Flashback…………..

Bright December sunlight shown in the large, gothic windows of the disused classroom Draco and Harry had made into their own makeshift dance studio. A large phonograph, magically cranking itself, stood in the corner on four pushed-together desks. Beethoven's recognizable _Fur Elise _wafted through the air.

"Concentrate, Harry," Draco gritted his teeth, starting to get frustrated.

"I'm trying my best," the other boy complained, tripping over his feet once again and trying to make himself as comfortable as one can be while _ballroom dancing _with his best friend, his _male _best friend. "The music is getting too fast."

Draco blew air out of his mouth forcefully, "It's not too fast. You're too slow." He reorganized his grip on Harry's hand and neck, "You're gonna have to start leading better than this or else a thirteen year old girl will be pushing you around the dance floor."

Harry shook his head to rid himself of the trance Draco's scent had gotten him under; the mixture of raspberries and musk was hypnotic. Was it normal for this to be happening to him?

…………End Flashback…………..

Harry finally spotted Erica making her way through the crowd. She seemed a lot more interested in finding him than he seemed in finding her. They hadn't even spoken after they had agreed to go together.

"You're wearing green?" were the first words out of her mouth.

"Err…yeah?" Harry replied; he knew it was most likely a rhetorical question but he thought it best to answer anyway.

"This completely clashes with my cream robes," she complained. Harry shrugged; he didn't think it mattered all that much.

The oak front doors opened, and everyone turned to look as the Durmstrang students entered with Professor Karkaroff. Krum was at the front of the party, accompanied by a girl in blue robes Harry didn't know. Over their heads he saw that an area of lawn right in front of the castle had been transformed into a grotto full of fairy lights--meaning hundreds of actual living fairies were sitting in the rosebushes that had been conjured there, and were fluttering over the statues of what seemed to be Father Christmas and his reindeer.

Then Professor McGonagall's voice called, "Champions over here, please!"

Erica checked her reflection in a compact and plastered a smile on her face. Harry glanced over to where Pansy had Draco by the arm and was chattering with a fifth-year Ravenclaw. Harry sighed and resigned himself to his fate.

Professor McGonagall, who was wearing dress robes of red tartan and had arranged a rather ugly wreath of thistles around the brim of her hat, told them to wait on one side of the doors while everyone else went inside; they were to enter the Great Hall in procession when the rest of the students sat down. Fleur and Rodger stationed themselves nearest the doors. Harry tried to ignore the Hufflepuff standing in front of him; he really was in no mood to hear how great the other's life was.

Then Harry noticed that the girl clutching Krum's arm was none other than that bucktoothed Gryffindor Mudblood. He noticed the looks the surrounding boys were giving her. He wondered why he found Viktor's red robes and fur cape more alluring than the girl's low cut outfit and fancy updo.

Once everyone else was settled in the Hall, Professor McGonagall told the champions and their partners to get in line in pairs and to follow her. They did so, and everyone in the Great Hall applauded as they entered and started walking up toward a large round table at the top of the Hall, where the judges were sitting. The Hall was filled with the obligatory applause of their peers. Erica smiled brightly and waved cheekily to her year mates.

At the table, Harry was forced to sit next to something that could only be described as another descendant of the Weasley tribe. Harry's lip curled as he listened to the boy, he recognized him as the Head Boy from last year, prattle on to the table about how he had been promoted by Mr. Crouch.

Harry remembered from the World Cup how Crouch had talked about his new, groveling assistant; he had mentioned him by the name of 'Weatherby'. Harry said this openly to the table, earning him a blush accompanied by a stutter from the boy and a disappointed look from Dumbledore.

They placed their orders with their glittering plates and instantly had a meal before them. Harry made small talk with his date over his pork chops and shot disgusted looks at the rest of the couples who were feeding each other and flirting in a way that gave Harry the urge to vomit. He looked longingly at the table not far away where he could see his Slytherin friends laughing together--no doubt over a vulgar joke Blaise had made about the breadsticks and butter.

After the last remnants of food had been wiped from all of the plates and Dumbledore had made the Hall appropriate for a ball, the champions all stood and the lights dimmed. The Weird Sisters struck up a slow, mournful tune as Harry walked onto the brightly lit dance floor. He caught Blaise's eye, who gave him the thumbs up and waggled his eyebrows.

He carefully took Erica's hand and laid his other uncomfortably upon her waist. Harry concentrated on the pointers Draco had drilled into his head during their short lessons and seemed to be doing fairly well. It was so much easier to imagine that it was the familiar presence of his friend rather than this practical stranger. Erica, for her part, beamed at the Hall and made sure that they were the center of attention. Harry's eyes landed on where his friends sat as he revolved on the spot.

Pansy was grinning at them and Draco had his head resting in his palm, staring sulkily at his shoes. Pansy followed Harry's gaze to the boy sitting next to her and rolled her eyes. She grabbed Draco's hand and hauled him off onto the floor as one of the first couples to join the champions.

Pansy pulled Draco close in a way that made Harry's eyes flash and started them swaying to the beat. "He's never going to make the first move… you know that, right?" She whispered in her lifelong friend's ear, "He barely even knows there's such a thing as _sexuality_."

"That's the problem," Draco growled before dipping her and resuming their conversation, "he didn't even know boys _could _like each other _that_ way until today. Could you imagine if one day Millie just came up to you and told you that she was in love with you in a way _not at all _platonic?"

Pansy made a face. "Don't even go there, Draco. You and Harry have been practically drooling over each other for the past year, whether consciously or not. And I would hope a Malfoy such as yourself would have more finesse than to 'just come up to him and tell him'."

She watched as Harry pulled his protesting date off the dance floor to the table where most of the remaining Slytherins in their year sat. Crabbe and Goyle were noticeably absent, but none were too eager to find out what they were up to. Theo and Millie were contentedly holding hands above the table, ignoring their friends' teasing. Blaise had his Ravenclaw date, Cynthia Moon, in his lap and had his arm wound around her waist like Devil's Snare.

The blonde twit sat huffily off to the side by herself, occasionally shooting Harry dark looks as he sipped his punch. "Go," Pansy sighed against his ear.

"You don't want to dance more?" Draco asked skeptically, but he was already gravitating in Harry's direction.

"You don't think I can find someone else to dance with?" Pansy scoffed, eyeing a Durmstrang boy from across the Hall.

Draco grinned, "Who could resist you?"

"Why, no one of course," she smiled a saccharine smile.

"Thank you," he whispered against her cheek before kissing it. She watched wistfully as Draco dropped into the seat next to Harry making the dark-haired boy's eyes sparkle like they always did in the blonde's presence. She sighed and turned away, on the prowl for a dance partner, Hopefully, Harry would pull his head out of his arse sooner rather than later.

After Harry's date had become so aggravated with him that she had left the table in favor of the one adjacent to them where Michael Corner sat with some others of his year, Pansy drifted back over looking slightly tipsy, with puffy lips and a contented smile on her face.

"Fred and George said they'd be spiking the punch," Harry muttered in Draco's ear.

"I still don't see how you could be friends with any of the Weasleys. Though I do suppose that with all their children, one or two might turn out okay," he added after Harry's stern look.

"They're nothing like their brothers or, gods forbid, the weaselette," Harry shuddered. "They're great fun to be around when not surrounded by the rest of the Gryffindor do-gooders."

"Whatever," Draco shrugged it off, uncomfortable with the thought of Harry alone with two rowdy _older _boys; they had this argument constantly.

Both boys had been dragged from the table a few times throughout the night to dance with some of their female friends and as the final song was enounced, Draco found himself with an armful of Pansy. "One last dance," she pleaded.

Draco sighed as Harry mouthed for him to _go, _and nodded in acceptance. Pansy maneuvered them so they were on the edge of the floor with Draco's back to Harry. She wrapped her arms around his waist as he did the same with her.

"Why couldn't you be straight?" She sighed against his shoulder, seemingly very close to falling asleep.

Draco chuckled at his drunken friend, "Because girls like you are scary."

"I get to be its godmother. And if it's a girl, her middle name will be Pansy," she declared slowly moving her hands lower to the small of Draco's back.

Draco looked quizzically down at her, "What are you talking about?"

"You and Harry's first child, of course. It's the least I deserve for getting you two together," she stated as if it should be obvious.

"How exactly do you plan on going about that?" Draco asked interestedly with a grin, indulging her.

She grinned like a Cheshire cat, "Like this." And with that she grabbed two handfuls of Draco's arse and gave it a firm squeeze.

"Pansy, you minx!" Draco laughed, used to his friend's flirtatious antics, but glass shattering behind them distracted him. He turned out of her grasp to see Harry sitting with a hard look on his face and a broken glass lying next to him.

When he noticed people staring, he smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck, "Heh, sorry must have squeezed it too hard."

"But Harry," Theo said earnestly, "the glass was no where near your hand."

……………………

"I can't figure out this stupid, bloody egg," Harry grumbled moodily as he and Draco descended down the sloping Hogwarts grounds toward the lake. It's was actually nice to be out in the biting chill of January just to get away from the stuffy, windowless maze of the dungeons.

"I don't know what's to figure out. It's just screaming. It'll probably be a test of who can stand the screaming the longest or something just as ridiculous," Draco replied, curling his legs under him on the blanket (complete with a built-in warming charm), which they had brought down to the lake with them.

"You'd be a bit more worried if you were the one that has to face whatever the judges come up with. I wouldn't think they'd go for something that tame after _dragons_. They have to find a way to top that. I just wish Pansy would layoff. It's not easy having to listen to this thing screech and find some sort of meaning out of it," Harry complained, laying the egg down at his feet as he stretched out and simultaneously tightened his cloak around him.

"I know something that can take your mind off of that clue," Draco said coyly, walking his fingers around the edge of the blanket.

"What?" Harry asked distractedly watching Krum dive off of the edge of the Durmstrang ship. _Stupid, insane Bulgarian with his stupid, little swim trunks_, he thought.

"This," Draco said before pouncing on his unsuspecting friend. In a flurry of limbs, he had Harry's arms pinned to his sides with his knees and had worked his fingers under layers of clothing to find the dark-haired boy's sensitive stomach.

"S-stop," he choked out in between uncontrollable bouts of giggling as he was tickled within an inch of his life, "your fingers are cold! C-can't breathe!"

"Say you surrender," Draco baited, still working his fingers over his friend's twitching muscles.

"N-never!" Harry gasped, writhing beneath the other boy. He shifted all of his weight onto one hip and then moved with all his might, managing to flip them over so he was on top, in the process rolling them a ways down the slope. He grabbed hold of Draco's wrists and pinned them above his head while at the same time securing the blond'sblonde's knees in between his own.

"Gotcha," Harry smiled cheekily into the other boy's face. By the time the word had left his mouth, he realized just _how _close they were. He could feel Draco's labored breathing puffing against his red-tipped nose and cheeks. Draco lay silent with a grin plastered on his face, making Harry wonder desperately how his friend could _always _be so _confident_.

Draco sniffed and licked his wind chapped lips, the movement drawing Harry's attention away from his eyes (which to Harry looked as if they held a thunderstorm within), and fixing single-mindedly on his mouth. Was it natural for a boys' mouth to be so _pink _and so _full, _and so goddamned _alluring_?

A splashing noise not far away made Harry's head snap to the side, realizing how out in the open they were. In fact, he could see Krum standing on the deck of his school's ship gazing in their direction.

When he looked back at Draco, he had his eyebrows furrowed with a slightly disappointed look on his face. What the other boy was disappointed about, Harry wasn't sure. "What was that noise? Surely no one other than that Bulgarian loon is swimming," the blond asked glancing around.

Harry shrugged, not that concerned, more interested in the fact that he was still on top of Draco and he hadn't yet been asked kindly to _shove off_. Then it hit him. Whirling around, he saw that he was right. With their wrestling, they had managed to knock the egg down the slope and into the lake.

"Bloody, buggering shit," Harry swore, jogging down to the sandy shore and crouching down just before the still surface, trying to see if the clue was in sight through the murky water. There! Glimmering gold surrounded by indiscriminant gloom. He noticed the fall had knocked the egg open, bubbles originating from its polished surface raced to the surface.

Harry sighed wearily pulling off his black school shoes and loosening his tie. "Harry!" Draco called running to his side, "though I don't mind the sight of you taking your clothes off," he winked, making Harry's cheeks flush for reasons other than the cold, "what the hell are you doing?"

"The egg fell in the lake," Harry grumbled, "I have to go get it."

Draco let out a bark of laughter, "You're actually thinking about getting _in _that freezing water? Do you have any _idea_ how deep and/or cold it is down there? You'll most likely die of hypothermia before you reach it."

"How the hell else am I going to get it? I can't just leave it there! I need it!" Harry growled, not liking the way Draco could make him feel like an ignorant child.

"Whoa. Calm down," Draco said soothingly, "I just meant you could summon it. It'll save you the pain, effort, and possible death."

"Oh," Harry simply, blushingly slipping his shoes back on, leaving his tie askew. He drew his wand from his back pocket. "Accio-err…," he trailed off. "What exactly do I call it? _Egg? _I certainly don't want one of Hagrid's skrewt eggs hitting me in the head."

Draco snickered, "Try _golden _egg. I'm sure there aren't too many of those lying around. And if you happen to get Diggory's, Krum's, or the Veela twit's," he shrugged, "so be it."

Harry grinned, "Good idea, _accio golden egg!_" The oblong shape in the water jolted and then zoomed toward the land. As it broke the surface, the egg brought some water with it. Through the splashing Harry heard a melodic voice sing "_…hour long you'll have to look…_" before it all dissolved into familiar screeching.

"D'you hear that?" Harry asked after deftly catching the egg and snapping it shut, managing to soak his shirt.

Draco scrunched up his nose and nodded slowly, "I think so, for just a second it _didn't _sound like a cat was being murdered. But only when it was…"

"In the water," Harry completed for him. His eyes grew wide and bright, "I think we've come one step closer to figuring this out." He re-approached the lake, rolled up his sleeves, and squatted by the water--lowering it so that it was submerged only part way, letting loose his newest riddle.

…………

A/N: Not dead. :


	9. Chapter 9

**Beta: **snape504

…………………………………

"_Come seek us where our voices sound,_

_We cannot sing above the ground,_

_And while you're searching, ponder this:_

_We've taken what you'll sorely miss,_

_An hour long you'll have to look,_

_And to recover what we took,_

_But past an hour- the prospects black_

_Too late, it's gone it won't come back."_

"Well I usually find that the best way to deal with riddles, which in a way this is, is to take it one line at a time." Draco said matter-of-factly, leaning over to read the bit of parchment upside down from where he sat across the library table from Harry.

Harry took a deep breath, "_Come seek us where our voices sound_- okay so I'm going to be the one going to them, I have to find these _merpeople. We cannot sing above the ground_- we already decided that that's an indication of the fact that I'll have to go _in_ the black lake. _And while you're searching ponder this: we've taken what you'll sorely miss- _so they're going to take something from me. What? Something important. When? No idea. _An hour long you'll have to look- _well that's pretty self explanatory. _But past an hour- the prospects black, too late, it's gone it won't come back-_ so whatever they take I won't get back if I don't find it within the time limit."

"Hold up there on that last one," Draco said slowly with a furrowed brow. "Do you think they would take a '_sorely missed_' possession from each champion and not give it back? I wouldn't say that their allowed to do that. No, I think that that's just more incentive to get there on time.

Harry looked at Draco doubtfully, "You don't think that they can do whatever they want? This '_magically binding contract_' that I got myself dragged into basically says they can do whatever the fuck they feel like doing and I have to deal with the situation."

Draco raised an eyebrow at his friend's irritation, "You're just psyching yourself out, you know that right?"

"What do you think they'll take?" Harry asked dropping the topic in order to avoid an argument.

"Well, what's the most important thing in the world to you," Draco questioned almost nervously, biting his lip in anticipation of the answer.

"Maybe it'll be my Firebolt," Harry mused blithely.

"Nice," Draco muttered, "I get outclassed by a flying stick."

"Don't be ridiculous," Harry cajoled, nudging Draco's leg with his foot under the table, "they wouldn't take _people _to the bottom of the lake."

A whole crowd of merpeople was floating in front of the houses that lined what looked like a mer-version of a village square. A choir of merpeople was singing in the middle, calling the champions toward them, and behind them rose a crude sort of statue; a gigantic merperson hewn from a boulder. Four people were bound tightly to the tail of the stone merperson.

Harry's aggravation at Draco for being no where in sight this morning when his nerves had been at a breaking point completely dissipated as his breath caught in his throat. So to speak, seeing as he happened to have gills so he wasn't exactly breathing at the moment. The gillyweed that Draco had goaded Harry to ask for from Snape was doing its job perfectly.

Draco floated, motionless, anchored only by the rope around his ankles. Harry would've thought him dead if it wasn't for the stream of bubbles continuously flowing from his slightly open mouth. Harry wanted to kick himself; of course no broom could be more important to him than Draco. _Nothing _was more important to him than Draco, _nothing_.

He unclipped the pocket knife Sirius had given him for Christmas from his belt loop and set to work sawing at the rope that tied Draco to the stone. He glanced sideways as the rope began to fray, Diggory's girlfriend was tied next to Draco, after her was that damn mudblood that had been parading herself around on Krum's arm, and on the end was a girl who look to be at the oldest ten years old and could only be described as Fleur's sister, with the same delicate Veela features.

He turned back to Draco as the rope broke at the same time the crowd surrounding them looked to something in the distance. Realizing for the first time that the fact the three other hostages were still there meant that Harry was in the lead, he figured that what the people were looking at the was the next Champion.

Acting instinctually Harry took hold of Draco, holstered his pocket knife, and whipped out his wand. Pointing at ground he shouted '_relashio!_', predictably, as he has learned from the grindylows, from his mouth came only bubbles and from his wand only a stream of boiling water, but it served its purpose. All the broken rock pieces and bits laying around the base of the statue that could possibly used as cutting tools went flying, scattered in the low murky weeds and muck pools. He wasn't sure if any of his competitors had thought to bring something to cut with but he wasn't taking any chances.

As the form of what was now recognizable as Cedric, with his head surrounded by a large air bubble, came closer Harry decided it was time to start heading back. He wrapped an arm around Draco's back so they were chest to chest and used his other hand to cradle the other boy's head still to prevent any whiplash that might occur with Draco's head lolling back and forth. The blonde may hate it when Harry treated him like a fragile china doll, but he hated the thought of Draco in pain, almost as much as dealing with Draco's whining.

He sank down so he was resting on the tail of the stone form and then bent his knees and pushed off with a mighty _whoosh_ that propelled the both of them toward the surface. Using his still webbed feet he kicked with all his might to bring them to the light of day, the water around them was still a dark green, almost brown. He hadn't realized how deep he had swam; he didn't even want to think about how far from the shore they were. _Merlin_, Harry thought, _aren't people supposed to float in water? _But Draco's weight was trying to pull him down like an anchor as the inertia of his push started to wear off.

Using his feet, which still doubled as flippers, he kicked with all his might and watched as the water around them grew slowly lighter and lighter. After a few agonizing minutes in which Harry thought time could have been standing still they reached the surface. Harry burst through first, happy that this ordeal would soon be over; only to realize, as he gasped for air, that he still had gills.

Once again he submerged himself and swam towards the sandy shore he could see in the distance, keeping a safe meter in between himself and the surface, Draco still clutched to his chest. Thankfully, as the water got shallow, with a slight pain the gills melted from his neck and he felt each finger and toe separate into independent digits.

When his head finally emerged, the muffled vibrations and voices he had been hearing turned into the thunderous cheers of the cheers, as everyone was on their feet shouting and clapping. Harry figured in the lighter water they must've been able to watch his approach.

He side stroked the rest of the way to the bank while Draco coughed and sputtered into consciousness. He tried not to blush but felt his body temperature rise when Draco's thin arms wrapped around his middle as Harry pulled them to shore.

The judges stood waiting for them; all but Madame Maxime who was trying to restrain Fleur as she tried to claw her way out of a blanket and back to the water, yelling something about _Gabrielle_.

Harry stumbled and tried to regain his footing at the same time carefully supporting Draco, he wasn't sure if the other boy had quite regained all of his strength back. The arms around his waist disappeared as Madame Pomfrey bustled towards them with blankets and a pair of steaming goblets, Harry almost mourned the loss.

"Come here, you two," she said in her normal fussy tone, wrapping a blanket tightly around each of them and shoved the Pepper-Up Potion into their hands. She trotted away to gather more supplies in preparation for the arrival of the next champion.

From behind them he heard one of the professors shout something along the lines of 'not allowed down here' followed by a familiar affronted voice, "Like hell I'm not."

He turned to see Pansy jogging unsteadily down the damp sandy bank towards them. "Oh, Draco," she cooed as she got closer to them, "If any of those disgusting creatures touched a hair on your head, I'll filet every last one of them." Harry found that he agreed whole heartedly with the sentiment.

"Its okay, Pansy," Draco smiled at Harry over the girl's shoulder as he was wrapped in a hug that was as tight as the blanket, "Dumbledore put us to sleep last night, Snape came to the dorm to get me. He told me what was going to happen and I don't even remember actually being in the lake."

"You there!" a very peeved looking Professor Vector called, spotting Pansy, "Young lady, I'm sorry, but you'll have to come with me, only those involved with the challenge are allowed to be down here."

Pansy pouted and blew Harry a kiss as she was dragged away by the professor with a hand tightly attached to her upper arm. "She's insane," Harry commented good naturedly, watching as their friend decided to put up a fight.

"Yea," Draco smiled, sitting down next to Harry to wait for the arrival of the other champions, "that's why I love her."

Harry's hand tightened into a fist where it lay on the bench and he gave a strained smile in return. _I love her. _The words played over again in Harry's head accompanied with the feeling of being hit in the stomach with a cannonball.

The feeling soothed over into something decidedly more comforting when Draco's hand covered his own that lay in between them. He glanced at the other boy through the corner of his eye only to find him staring determinately out over the lake's surface. Harry slowly turned his hand over interlocking their fingers and giving a squeeze for good measure, secure in the thought that he had won _this _challenge.

…………………….

**A/N: **You know that feeling when your computer crashes, you lose all of your saved files, and your little sister spills hot chocolate all over your copy of Goblet of Fire?

I've kind of been put off writing for a couple of months due mostly to the shock of losing _all _of my WIP files. Because, you know, why would I be smart enough to back up the files on a disk, right?

Sorry it's so short, mostly a way of getting myself back into the swing of writing.


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